Getting Started

Can I transfer my domain to Frontpage?

Yes, you can transfer your existing domain name to Frontpage. To initiate the process order a hosting plan for your Web site. You will fill in any details about your domain name during the check out process. 

Frontpage will then modify your domain name information with your registrar* so your domain name points to our Web servers. This way, once the transfer is complete, anyone who types in your domain name will be directed to our Web servers where your Web site is located.

*A registrar is simply a business that allows individuals and businesses to register a domain name. If you haven't registered your domain name, Frontpage provides domain name registrations.

Some registrars, such as Network Solutions, will require authorization from the domain owner to transfer the domain name. This verification process occurs through an email with the administrative contact. If the owner cannot be contacted via email, then verification occurs through fax. If the proper authorization is not given, then the transfer will not take place.

So, please monitor your email account daily for emails from Frontpage, and possibly your registrar. 

Why hasn't my domain name been transferred to Frontpage?

When you select "transfer" during the check out process, to move an existing domain name to Frontpage, we submit a modification request to your registrar. What this request does is attempt to update the DNS (Domain Name Server) name server information for your domain name.

In order to verify that the owner of the domain name (you or other person who is the administrative contact for the domain name) approves of these changes, some registrars will send an email to the current administrative contact for the domain. If this person does not reply to this email, or do not select "ACK" (for acknowledgement) when replying, the transfer will not be authorized. Therefore, your domain name will not be transferred.

If you are the administrative contact for the domain name, check your email for a message from your registrar, such as Network Solutions, and respond to it as outlined. Also, feel free to contact Frontpage.

If your registrar is Network Solutions, and you did not receive or cannot find a message from Network Solutions, you will have to contact them directly to complete the transfer of the domain name. You can go to their Web site contact us page or phone them at (703) 742-4777.

Why does my domain name still point to the site at my previous host?

When the DNS name server information is changed for a domain name, there will be a period of time when someone trying to access the domain name may be sent to your old site or another site altogether. This period can last as little as a few days, or as long as a few weeks. This initial confusing period is associated with the time it takes for new name server entries to propagate to the entire internet, and may vary depending on the location the user is trying to access your web site. This phenomena is due to what is known as "DNS caching."

Every ISP (Internet Service Provider) and web hosting company operates a Domain Name Service. The DNS server translates the domain name into a numerical value that the computers on the internet recognize. The DNS server saves, or caches, previous translations, so that later requests can be handled much more quickly (the name server reads the stored information and does not have to perform a translation/search each time the name is resolved). The cache of every DNS server is deleted periodically. The length of time between purges is different for everyone, though most hosts/ISP's clear DNS cache every seven to ten days (some more frequently, some less frequently).

For example, let's say your ISP clears their DNS cache every Saturday. If you transfer your domain name to Frontpage on Wednesday, any connection to your site through your ISP will be using the old DNS information for a few more days, so connections to your new site may fail during that time. On the other hand, people visiting your site for the first time will likely get right through. DNS caching is an unfortunate fact of life on the internet and cannot be avoided. To insure maximum "up time" for your site, you may consider keeping the account at your previous host active for the first month you're at Frontpage. That way, no one trying to find you will be sent to a nonexistent site.

How do I check my email, How do I create new email accounts?

To answer these two questions, open a browser and type in http://mail.yourdomainname.com  This will bring you to your IMail account.  Click the help button for information.

Reply Address Fix for IMail

1. Login to your web mail through the IMail Web interface:
   http://mail.yourdomain.com
2. From the pull-down in the top right corner of IMail you will see:
   "Personal Account Options..." Click on the pull-down to see your options.
3. Select "Change User Information" from the pull-down. You will be sent to another page.
4. Scroll to the bottom of the screen where you will see: "Reply-To:" and to the right of it you should see: "user@mail.yourdomain.com"
5. Remove the word mail so it appears as "user@yourdomain.com"
6. Then, click on the "Save" button in the lower right corner.
7. Another page will appear and you can click on "Menu" in the top right corner of the box to return to the main menu of your mail.

Unable to logon to the IMail Web interface

If you are using AOL for your internet connection, and using the default web browser, you may not be able to log into the IMail Web interface.  Keep your connection to AOL, and open another browser such as Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator and type in http://mail.yourdomainname.com and log in this way.

What's the difference between a POP3 account and a forwarding account?

A POP3 email account receives and stores email on the email server here at Frontpage. You log into the account directly to retrieve mail. A forwarding account uses your Frontpage domain name (you@yourdomain.com), but sends the mail to another email account that you specify. The other account can be anywhere; you@aol.com, you@home.com, etc. The messages are not stored on our server, but rather "forwarded" to the other target email account. Each Frontpage account includes three or more POP3 email addresses and unlimited email forwarding.

What's a catch-all email address?

If you created POP3 email accounts and someone sends you an email addressed to a username that does not exist for your domain name, then you have two options.
1. Use the 'catch-all' email feature.
This feature will forward every email message that is going to a nonexistent email account to any other email address that you specify. This email feature allows you to not miss any email that comes to your domain name.
2. You can do nothing
and these emails will be automatically bounced back to the user notifying them that the particular email address is nonexistent.

Message could not be sent

If you are receiving a message stating that the recipient was rejected by the server OR a 550 not local host, not a gateway error message, please change a setting in your email client (i.e. Outlook or Eudora) for outgoing mail (My server requires authentication). Apply the changes.

If you have checked authentication (as noted below) and it
still won't send use your Internet connection provider's SMTP server. Enter the SMTP address in the Outgoing Mail (SMTP) field. For example, mail.earthlink.net.

READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY!
You may want someone who is knowledgeable in computers, if you are not, to make these changes.

If you use Microsoft Outlook 2000, do the following:

1. Open your Outlook 2000 program.
2. From the menu select "Tools" then "Services."
3. From the "Services" dialog box select the email account you wish to configure by clicking on it with your mouse (or other pointing device).
4. Now with the email account highlighted, click on the "Properties" button.
5. Another dialog box will popup with four tabs marked: "General", "Servers", "Connection" and "Advanced."
6. Click on the "Servers" tab and be careful -- DO NOT change anything here except what is outlined in #7 below.
7. Near the bottom of this dialog box it will say "Outgoing Mail Server" and below that you want to click in the white box just to the left of "My server requires authentication" so that a black check mark appears in the white box.
8. If you have made any changes that you DO NOT want to keep, click on the "Cancel" button and start these steps over.
9. To accept the changes made in #7 above, you must click on the button at the bottom of this dialog box that says "Apply."
10. You should now be able to send out your email.

If you use Qualcomm Eudora 5.0, do the following:

1. Open your Eudora 5.0 program.
2. From the menu select "Tools" and then "Options."
3. An "Options" dialog box will popup. On the left side of this dialog box is a scrollable area named "Category."
4. Under "Category" you want to select "Getting Started" by clicking on it once so it is selected and highlighted.
5. DO NOT change anything here except what is outlined in #6 below.
6. On the right side of the dialog box at the bottom, you want to click in the white box just to the left of "Allow authentication" so that a black check mark appears in the white box.
7. If you have made any changes that you DO NOT want to keep, click on the "Cancel" button and start these steps over.
8. To accept the changes made in #6 above, you must click on the button at the bottom of this dialog box that says "OK."
9. You should now be able to send out your email.